Santa Barbara vs Sunnyvale
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,570,800 in Santa Barbara and $1,801,800 in Sunnyvale.
- Households earn more in Sunnyvale ($186,170 vs $106,182 median).
- Santa Barbara has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 59°F.
- Sunnyvale is growing faster: +0.6% since 2020 vs -2.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Santa Barbara (17 vs 23 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Santa Barbara, CA | Sunnyvale, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 86,422 | 156,577 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.7% | +0.6% |
| People per square mile | 4,434 | 7,098 |
| Median age | 39.7 | 35.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52% | 69% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $106,182 | $186,170 |
| Median home value | $1,570,800 | $1,801,800 |
| Home value to income | 14.8× | 9.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,413 | $3,039 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.8 | 110.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.4 | 211.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,600 | $82,800 |
| Homeowners | 40% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.3 | 23.0 |
| Work from home | 19% | 29% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 4.5% |
| Poverty rate | 14% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 47° | 59° / 42° |
| July high / low | 76° / 60° | 77° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 5 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 2 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 9 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.0 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 45% | 92% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.3% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43.7% | +27.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Santa Barbara: January to December. Sunnyvale: March to November.
Full monthly tables: Santa Barbara weather by month and Sunnyvale weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,600 in Santa Barbara and $82,800 in Sunnyvale. Moving from Santa Barbara to Sunnyvale, you would need about $76,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Santa Barbara and Sunnyvale
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Santa Barbara and Sunnyvale.
Which would you pick?
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